33 m2 for two: small apartment in St. Petersburg

How to create a calm, functional and concise interior within a limited budget? – Designers Svetlana and Ivan Melnikov answer

Living room. Vintage armchair, Workshop KAMORKA. Tables, workshop “Truka”. Carpet, Zara Home. Cushion covers, Zara Home and H&M Home. Wardrobe, sofa, curtains, IKEA.

Photo: Ivan Melnikov

Designer Svetlana Melnikova.

OBJECT PARAMETERS

Property type: apartment in a multi-storey building

Square footage: 33 m2

Where is located: Saint-Petersburg

Style: modern with a touch of the 1960s

The main idea of the project: create a calm, cozy and functional interior within a small budget

Color scheme: neutral pastel shades

The authors of the project: designers Svetlana and Ivan Melnikov, T. +7 950 042-17-52, Instagram @melnikova.design,

[email protected]

Decorator Natalia Winner, T. +7 921 931-68-75, Instagram @natawinner_decorator

“Our customers this time were a married couple who loves traveling, books, art, in a word, does not lag behind the youth in anything,” says designer Svetlana Melnikova. — They spend most of the year on Valdai, and come to St. Petersburg to visit their son. The apartment was purchased next door to him. After the renovation, it was planned to rent housing for the first time. Therefore, the main wish was to create a modern interior that would not confuse potential tenants, bright and cozy, and most importantly – to fit into a small budget without compromising beauty.”

Bedroom. Bedside table, workshop “Truka”. Table lamp, IKEA. Cushion covers, Zara Home and H&M Home. Swedish wallpaper.

Photo: Ivan Melnikov

“We were inspired to work on the project by the Baltic coast with its endless sandy beaches, picturesque grasses and pine trees,” says Svetlana. – Actually, the colors here are mostly warm, from light sandy to rich amber. There are also cold shades of the sea and sky. At the same time, the interior is not devoid of bright accents. Juicy spots “pass” from textiles to mosaics, from mosaics to paintings, from paintings to ceramics and vases.”

Kitchen. Table, chair, wardrobe, curtains, IKEA. Pendant lamp Carmina, Denmark, Søren Ravn Christensen, Anders Klem.

Photo: Ivan Melnikov

A fragment of the kitchen.

Photo: Ivan Melnikov

“On 33 sq. m, it was necessary to fit, firstly, a cozy, preferably isolated bedroom, secondly, a bright living room, third, to provide a sufficient number of shelves (there is a large library in the family!), and finally, to plan spacious storage systems,” says designer Ivan Melnikov. “At first the task seemed impossible, but eventually a mini-office even appeared in the living room.”

Kitchen. Table, chairs – IKEA. Mosaic on the Dune Princess D541 apron, Spain. Pendant lamp Carmina, Denmark.

Photo: Ivan Melnikov

“When I first crossed the threshold of this apartment, I had a feeling of incredible tightness,” says Svetlana. – A narrow corridor, a small kitchen of 8 sq. m, a room of only 15 sq. m and low ceilings. Among these disadvantages, there are only two advantages – the presence of two wide windows in the room and a fascinating view of the sky – the apartment is located on the fifteenth floor.”

Passage to the kitchen. Vintage armchair, Workshop KAMORKA. Vintage chest of Drawers, Please Sit Down shop. Vase of the 1970s, Poland, MaisonOsin store. Wardrobe, chair, IKEA. Painting “Spring”, artist Anastasia Kovaleva.

Photo: Ivan Melnikov

Kitchen. Table, chairs, IKEA. Pendant lamp Carmina, Denmark, designed by Soren Ravn Christensen and Anders Klem. Tea set, ComeHome home decor store.

Photo: Ivan Melnikov

It was decided to make the walls light, as in Scandinavian apartments.

“One of the walls in the living room was covered with Swedish wallpaper with an unobtrusive floral ornament,” says Ivan. — The same drawing with the image of field grasses can be seen fragmentary on the wall in the bedroom, but in a different color. The reception made it possible to avoid monotony. At the same time, it serves as a calm background, not splitting the composition, but on the contrary, uniting the space, bringing it to a common whole picture.”

Living room. Table, workshop “Truka”. Carpet, Zara Home. Cushion covers, Zara Home and H&M Home. Sofa, IKEA.

Photo: Ivan Melnikov

A fragment of the bedroom. Wardrobe, curtain, IKEA. Basket, Zara Home.

Photo: Ivan Melnikov

“In order to visually expand the living room, we mounted a high mirror opposite the door with access to the balcony,” says Svetlana. “It gives the room more depth, while it additionally reflects daylight.”

A fragment of the kitchen. Mosaic in the lining of the Dune Princess D541 apron, Spain. Vase of the 1970s, Poland, MaisonOsin store. Turquoise plate, ceramics store “Gently”.

Photo: Ivan Melnikov

“It was originally planned to make a frosted glass painted apron in the kitchen, but technical difficulties arose in the production and we were informed that the order would have to wait two months,” Ivan says. “Then we found this wonderful mosaic, its color reminiscent of the amber of the Baltic shores.”

“Pay attention to the lamp in the kitchen — a beautiful and elegant pendant according to the sketches of Danish designers hovers over the table like a cloud,” says Svetlana. — We have studied the history of this model. Sand dunes served as inspiration for the authors. The tile in the bathroom also fits into the overall concept — it evokes associations with sand dunes.”

Pendant lamp Carmina, Denmark. Curtain, IKEA.

Photo: Ivan Melnikov

“There are a lot of unusual objects with history in the apartment,” Ivan says. — We managed to mix the style and objects of the 1960s with modern ones. Even the graphics of the artists of the 1960s in the new environment began to play in a new way. Probably the most curious detail of the situation is the dressing table of Soviet times, which we have turned into a spectacular chest of drawers.”

Bedroom.

Photo: IVAN MELNIKOV

“This project is special for us also because in the process of work, my husband and I became parents for the second time,” says Svetlana. – At the final stage, the decorator Natalia Winner, who joined our friendly team, helped us a lot. The most interesting thing is that after seeing the result, the customers changed their mind about renting the apartment, noting that the interior is like their reflection. They feel so comfortable in these walls!”

Bedside table, workshop “Truka”. Lamp, IKEA.

Photo: Ivan Melnikov

Vintage chest of Drawers, Please Sit Down shop.

Photo: Ivan Melnikov

Chair, vintage furniture store Please Sit Down. Sofa, wardrobe, table lamp, IKEA.

Photo: Ivan Melnikov

Vintage chest of Drawers, Please Sit Down shop. Vintage vase, Poland, MaisonOsin store. Pink vase, ceramics store “Gently”. Mirror, Zara Home. Swedish wallpaper.